


Tightrope

by Witchersforge



Series: Aiden Lore Stories [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:33:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29668029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchersforge/pseuds/Witchersforge
Summary: Inspired by the Cat Witcher gwent cards. Aiden and gaetan have a training session together,
Series: Aiden Lore Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001292
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Tightrope

“Don’t fall!”

“If you keep saying don’t fall I’m gonna fall.”

“Just doing my job.” The days the caravan stops are the ones Aiden dreads the most. it usually means it’s time for training, which, when it’s sword work and archery, Aiden’s fine with, but the times \where his balance is being tested and he’s blindfolded are the worst. 

“If you fall, land in the cabbages.”

“Gross.” The pungent smell is enough to guide the adept witcher as he struggles to keep his balance on a wire his mentor had tied up only a day before. Another boy in his class had fallen and broken his ribs, it’s a shock he didn’t break anything else, but that doesn’t mean the others have to have their training out on hold. 

Still, at least Aiden’s been paired up with Gaetan again. The two get along better than anyone else in this caravan, let alone the other boys in his class. Gaetan at least didn’t beat the shit out of him if he fucked up which was…something.

The young Cat can’t really tell how far he is to the next pole. All he knows is the rope under his foot is barely big enough to compensate and one wrong move will have him tumbling down on a hard, rocky surface. Still, determined, he puts one foot in front of the other and pushes forward. 

Down below, his mentor keeps a mental tally of every time Aiden’s nearly slipped, knowing that it’ll count against him until he can make it across blindfolded and without fall.

“Come on, we don’t have all day. Get going.” Pushing him gets Aiden’s agitation brewing, Gaetan knows that no matter what happens, though, the young Cat will be just fine. Aiden, on the other hand, nearly tumbles when the lanky teenager almost tips too far to the side.

“I’m going.” Just one foot in front of the other. It’s fine. it’s safe. He’s…fine.

For now. 

Eventually, though, the young cat finally makes it across, standing on the edge of the building for a moment before exhaling. Finally safe, he turns around to pull down his blindfold, gazing at his mentor down below.

“That sucked.”

“Don’t say that so loud, you wanna be punished again for being a little shit?” Gaetan asks as he peers up, finally.

“Then can we stop doing the tight rope? I’m literally the only one training right now,” Aiden complains, unable to help himself. “When are we going to do some _actual_ sword work?”

“You? Sword work?”

“You know what I meant.”

Gaetan shrugs, watching as the young puma struggles to keep from falling again as he climbs down the rafters, only to finally land on both feet. He’s growing again, looking far too tall for the uniform he’s in and looking more sunken than he should. Gaetan’s lost track of how old he is now, and if he asks Aiden’s going to throw a fit and make a fuss about it. If he had to guess, the young Cat’s pushing seventeen.

“One day you’re not gonna be able to take advantage of me covering your ass. You know that right?” Gaetan asks suddenly while he watches Aiden brush dirt off his boots. “One of these days they’re gonna make Jad watch you and he’s gonna make you do push-ups for every time you almost tip over.”

“You’re saying you’re going easy on me?” Aiden grins for the first time in a while. That broken tooth still looks bad, almost like a fang now, but at least it didn’t rot as everyone expected it to. “Maybe I should be more grateful, Gaetan. After all, it’s not like you and I’ll get to work together forever. Especially if they find out we get along.”

“Mhmm.” Man, he didn’t even think about that. But Aiden is right, this brief period of peace the Cats have isn’t going to last much longer. Something is going to happen, he can feel it. Somehow, though, out of his fifty years, this one idiot is one he’s grown quite attached to. He’d be more than a bit miffed to see him suddenly gone. 

He watches as Aiden seems to have grown bored of standing around, watching the younger cat pick through an abandoned fruit cart, only to find himself a mostly clean apple with a grin.

“Alright.” Aiden sighs softly, taking a bite out of his well-earned reward. “We oughta get back before they think you let me fall.”

“I’d never.”

“I’d sure hope not. I’m your favorite.”


End file.
